Highlights
- The AP govt abruptly removed the state Director General of Police Damodar Gautam Sawang
- Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma directed Sawang to report to the General Administration department.
- K V Rajendranath Reddy has been given full additional charge now.
The Andhra Pradesh government on Tuesday abruptly removed the state Director General of Police (Head of Police Force) Damodar Gautam Sawang from the post and placed K V Rajendranath Reddy in full additional charge. Rajendranath, an IPS officer of the 1992 batch, is currently the Director General of Intelligence.
In an order, Chief Secretary Sameer Sharma directed Sawang to report to the General Administration department for further posting. Sawang, an officer of the 1986 batch, had been the state DGP since May 30, 2019 when Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy took over as the Chief Minister.
He is due to retire from service on July 31, 2023. The government superseded at least 10 senior officers, including two of his batchmates, in appointing Rajendranath as the DGP.
Formally, though, the government has to send a panel of names of three eligible officers to the UPSC for choosing one for the DGP (HoPF) post. Only upon the UPSC's clearance, Rajendranath could be appointed as regular DGP.